Nontyphoidal Salmonella Gastroenteritis in a Tertiary Children’s Hospital in Southern China: Characteristics and Dietary Considerations.

<italic>Background</italic>. Nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> infection is a common cause for acute bacterial gastroenteritis in children in China. There have been no reports of the prevalence of lactose intolerance or food allergies in children with nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> infection. The aim of this study was to characterize nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis in a tertiary children’s hospital and evaluate clinical presentation, lactose intolerance, and food allergies in children with prolonged nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis. <italic>Methods</italic>. A retrospective case-series analysis was carried out in a tertiary children’s hospital in Guangzhou, China. We included all infants and children who were diagnosed with nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2016. Patients’ clinical features, feeding patterns, laboratory tests, and treatment outcomes were reviewed. <italic>Results</italic>. A total of 142 infants and children were diagnosed with nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis. 52.1% of cases occurred in infants ≤ 12 months of age and the majority (89.4%) in children younger than 3 years old. The most common symptoms were diarrhea (100%), fever (62%), and vomiting (18.3%). <italic>Salmonella</italic> Typhimurium was the predominant serotype, accounting for 82.4%. 91.5% of patients were treated with antibiotics. Forty-one (28.9%) and 9 (6.3%) children improved with a lactose-free diet and hypoallergenic formula, respectively, when diarrhea persisted for more than a week. <italic>Conclusions</italic>. <italic>Salmonella</italic> Typhimurium was the predominant serotype. Most patients with nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis were younger than 3 years old. Lactose intolerance occurred frequently in children with nontyphoidal <italic>Salmonella</italic> gastroenteritis and dietary modification should be considered when diarrhea is persistent and prolonged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]